Only one thing beats getting a good price on something, and that’s getting it for free.
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I asked a friend who has crossed 70 & is heading towards 80 what sort of changes he is feeling in himself?He sent me the following:1. After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.2. I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.3. I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.4. I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.5. I stopped telling the elderly that they’ve already told that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past.6. I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.7. I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say “Thank You.”8. I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.9. I walk away from people who don’t value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.10. I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.11. I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.12. I have learned that it’s better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.13. I have learned to live each day as if it’s the last. After all, it might be the last.14. I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!I decided to share this for all my friends. Why do we have to wait to be 60 or 70 or 80, why can’t we practice this at any stage and age? -
Twice this week, I have watched an elderly individual, fade into the busy life in which we all live. One man just needed Panadol for his wife but the shop assistant simply said it’s in ‘6’. But he struggled to navigate the supermarket and as I watched him go in the wrong direction, I left all my groceries and took him where he needed to go. Today, I watched an elderly man struggle in the heat, who had obviously had a fall with a huge scrape and blood on his leg. He walked past people in the cafe, while he slowly made his way to his car. Not one person stopped. Or looked. Or acknowledged him. I took him to his car and checked he was ok. He told me he had a fall and wasn’t sure how the air con worked in his car so he just didn’t use it. I sat with him, until his air con kicked in and heard him talk about the old frail body that he is in, that fails him now, every single day.When you see an elderly person walking down the street, searching in the supermarket or struggling to their car, take a minute out of your busy schedule and ask them if they need a hand. Think about your grand parents and your parents and how pissed you would be if someone didn’t stop to help them. But more, think of them as you.Once upon a time they were you. They were busy, they had work, they had children, they were able…. Today, they are just in an older body that is not going as fast as it used to and this busy life is confusing. They deserve our utmost respect and consideration. One day it will be you, it will be us. I wish more people gave a sh*t about them and acknowledged them for their admirable existence and geez I hope someday, not that far away, someone does it for me.Credit: Adele Barbaro
